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Friday, February 13, 2015

How time flies when you are
having fun beating your body to a pulp!
After five years of participating in endurance sports, I used to wonder
why I get strange looks from my peers when we discuss what we did on vacations.

While most people go to the
beach or search for posh luxury resort with an emphasis on relaxation, May and
I don’t consider it a good vacation unless we have reached a new max heart rate
and can’t walk well for a week due to a triathlon, marathon or both!

While I thought my peers were
giving me strange looks on our idea of “vacation”, I like to think maybe some
of their looks are in response to my wrinkled face when being told about the
complete waste of time they spent on relaxation! Oh the travesty!

I often think back on what
attracted me to the sport of triathlon and endurance sports in general. I was never a stand out athlete in school and
I never participated in cross-country, track or any other sport that took
longer than six minutes. Ah, good old wrestling. Six minutes and that was
that…the good old days as some would say.

As an adult facing a receding
hair line (well OK no hair line), a growing belly and general state of constant
fatigue, a visit to a doctor was in order.
After the exam my doctor told me I was in OK shape for a man my age of
65! I said “excuse me but I’m 43!” to
which he responded “well then you are in awful shape!”

My idea of a wakeup call had
been the gentle sound of gentle ocean waves emanating from my phone at 6:00 am.
It certainly was not having a doctor tell you your body is ready for
retirement, a jump suit and recliner with a built in refrigerator. It was time to make a serious change in
lifestyle. Hey, how about running a
marathon or competing in an Ironman?

Through sacrifice, discipline
and hard work, I gradually got back to my biological age and even moved the
clock back a few years! But the rewards
of adopting a lifestyle of physical fitness were so much greater. Not only was
I able to call myself an endurance athlete and experience numerous health
benefits, the friendships I have made are priceless. I feel better about myself and have met some
wonderful new friends in the process.

Speaking of vacations, we
need to start planning our adventures for this year. Hmm, should we have a
relaxing week on the beach or compete in a half IRONMAN? Be careful, I can see you shaking your head
with that furrowed brow!

Sunday, February 8, 2015

When I started running in my
mid-forties, I made the mistake of not identifying my running form and gait. Unfortunately, not taking time to educate
myself I got a pair of shoes that were not suitable for how I run. A bad knee injury ensued followed by months
of rehab and down time.

What I learned is there are
runners who pronate or run on the insides of their foot. There are neutral runners that have the
majority of their foot make contact with the pavement and then there are supinator’s
that have a tendency to run on the outside edges of their feet.

Being a slight supinator, through
trial and error I found a neutral running shoe that worked for my high mileage,
running gait and intensity. As with many
things, the manufacturer completely changed my favorite shoe to the point I
could no longer run in them.

As a slight supinator, I look for
a shoe that has a minimal drop (heel to toe offset) with ample cushioning while
still being able to have a solid feel for the road. After many months of trial and error, I
decided to give the Altra One2 a try.

A reinvented model for Altra, the
One2 is an incredibly lightweight shoe at 5.9 ounces it feels and responds like
a training shoe with racing flat performance. I have found the One2 meets the
needs you place on it. Form speed work,
long training runs and even long races, the One2 performs the way you need it
too when you need it to. The shoe provides ample cushioning for all sizes of
runners, yet provides an excellent feel for the road.

While my previous shoe had a 4mm
drop, the Altra One2 is a zero drop shoe, which moves your heel in an even
plane with the ball of your foot. While
zero drop shoes closely resemble a more natural feeling for the foot like
walking barefoot, I found the transition to the Altra One2 seamless and
refreshing. Fully cushioned Zero Drop™ technology promotes a more natural foot
strike and a more efficient stride.

While many shoes can run narrow
in the toe box, especially when the foot is under pressure of running, the
Altra One2 has a unique toe-box design that provides more room for your
forefoot to breath. The Foot Shape™ toe
box keeps your foot powerful and comfortable throughout long distances.

The Altra One2 even performed
well in the pouring rain. Soaking wet,
the One2 never lost grip, performance or comfort. The Quick-drying, breathable mesh upper and
synthetic overlays provide all day comfort and dried quickly. The plush collar and breathable material make
the Altra One2 an option for sockless runners.

Women's Model

Altra hit a grand slam with the
reinvented One2. The only complaint is a
limited color selection but if performance and comfort in a neutral shoe is
what you are after, the One2 hits all the marks!
You can find the Altra One2 and Velocity Distance Project. velocitydistanceproject.com and like them on Facebook at facebook.com/vdpmultisport.

Friday, February 6, 2015

For training programs to be
effective there has to be a methodology to the overall program. Call it a big picture if you will and we
label this processes periodization.

A well-organized program
focuses on different components of overall fitness during different periods –
macrocycles, microcycles, and mesocycles.
The four phases of training – endurance, stamina, economy and speed fit
within these periods. Each of these
phases builds on the previous phase.

Endurance is built during
your base phase of training and prepares the muscles and cardiovascular system
for more intense workloads. Stamina
follows endurance and during this phase you are preparing the body for more
intensity and duration of activity.
Economy focuses on doing more work more efficient and the final phase,
speed, is increasing the intensity to move the body faster, once endurance,
stamina and economy have been developed.

While all four phases are
important, the timing of how they are done, increasing work load followed by
recovery time are very important. The goal is to peek fitness to its maximize
right before an major race or event. This is accomplished through the various
cycles according to Roy Benson and Declan Connolly.

A macrocycle in a six-month
training program might comprise of 12 weeks of simple, low-intensity aerobic
conditioning designed to build an endurance base.

Microcycles are shorter
periods with an increased focus on another aspect of fitness. In a six-month training program in which the
first 12 week are a macrocycle, two microcycles of four weeks each might
follow. These microcycles might focus on speed work, hill work, tempo runs or
flexibility.

Mesocycles are the final part
of the periodization process. These are
individual sessions designed to address another particular component or
skill. A mesocycle for a distance runner
might focus on pacing, tempo running or mechanics. For a swimmer it might focus on stroke
technique. Specialization and specific
skills are targeted during mesocycles.

The use of periodization
forces you to consider in detail the type of adaptations you are looking for
during a particular phase of your training program. It forces you to have an organized plan for
your “A” or major events and schedule your activity accordingly.

Where many people get into
trouble is scheduling a bunch of races each year while trying to do them all
without an organized plan. This either leads to injury form over use or worse,
a “flat” training program that does not produce the fitness or results desired.

As an example, I have two “A”
races this year, (one in January and one in October) where I will have peak
fitness and three “C” races where I will be somewhere in a macrocycle. I will use the three “C” races to build
endurance and practice specification in preparation for my “A” race in October.

Periodization in the form of
stress, rest, recovery and specialization are important for anyone looking to
improve their fitness and event success.

@ChrisVokaty

Feel Like A Rock Star

About Me

I have many roles in life as a husband to May, father to Elliana, Director of Sales Learning Delivery, church member and believer in Christ, fitness columnist, personal trainer, group exercise instructor, coach and endurance athlete! At 47, I am in the best shape of my life!